The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1887-04-15
MY NEIGHBOR OPPOSITE


ford.
had been from my childhood ner.
vous, sickly thing-ono of those person:
who seem born expressly to suffer them
selves and be q source OF suffering to
every one around them.
But l had struggled through all tho
sicknesses which ever beset all the chill.
dren of the world, for naturally sickly
people are not in the habit of dying,
observed; and at twenty-five / had O
tolerable degree of health and strength,
though | was easily excited, and was
what is called impressionablc.
My Aunt Mary insisted upon it that
this faculty in my nature, which made
me aware when storms were coming,
when fair weather might be expected,
when evil was ut hand, when death was
near, and when ill-luck was on the
rampage, was only the result of my
prying disposition. For Aunt Mary in
sisted that was fully equal to Paul Pry
in everything except sex.
But when | was about twenty Aunt
Mary died without giving any warning
of her intention, and was left the mis-
tress of myself and fortune quite
ample to keep me in idleness. l do not
know whether it was lucky or unlucky
for me that had wealth. Work hardens
the muscles, and makes person think
more of his dinner than of metaphysics,
and between YOU and me am of the
opinion that it is far better to speculate
over the first than over the last.
resided in n great roomy house in
Bath: but every summer | went to the
east coast-sometimes to one locality,
sometimes to another, never twice to
the same place. wore one place out,
exhausted its resources, in the course OF
q season.
This summer of which am writing
l CHANGED to select Placeford. Nothing
influenced me in the choice except the
fact that l had casually heard it re-
marked that Placeford was celebrated
for old houses. And, like all other in
terested imaginative persons, / had n
passion for old houses.
Placeford | found to be very much
like hundred other old towns.
/ boarded with Mrs. Brown, vino oc-
cupied n large shaded house in May
flower-road, which was dark, quiet
street.
Most of the houses were painted in
sombre colors, TO adapt themselves to
the solemn character of their surround
ings, and the majority of them were old
and dilapidated.
My chamber was in the southern front
of the house-a very charming room
whose windows looked into the yard of
the house on tho other side of the street
No. 10.
That house attracted my attention at
once. 1t was q very ancient-loolSing.
oblong building, constructed entirely Of
greyish stone. The windows, which
were not many, were deep set and close
ly covered with heavy wooden shutters
bound with iron. The gate which led
from the street was also barred, and
the cham secured by rusty paddock.
The grass grew rankly across the
path to the hall door up near to the
very doorstep: and nettles, burdocks,
ever-blooming pinks, and adventurous
candytufts flourished in heterogeneous
confusion in the deserted yard.
1t was very plain that No. 10 was I'M
inhabited. Then / began 10 form
theories concerning it. looked upon
it with n sort of awe ut which most
people would have laughed.
knew the place had history. Pos
sibly it was tragedy.
l asked Mrs. Brown about it one
morning Mt breakfast.
Lawful hearth said she shaking her
head; sits awful. You'll lay awake
nights a-thinking of it, Miss Francesr'
"Not /. Now, begin at the Begin
ming"
"Well, No. 10. belonged to Colonel
Frampton. His father built the house. 1t
was one of the first houses ever put up
in town. The colonel was high-blood-
ed chap. and his wife was good deal
moro high-blooded than he was, but
they were as nice people as ever you see.
The worst that ever knew,against 'em
was they would have dancing at thei.
house when any of the young people
went there. The colonel's wife bore
him two children" went on Mrs. Brown,
"a son and a daughter. The girl was
as pretty a thing as ever you see, but
the measles took her off when nine
years old. Duke, the boy, grew up. He
was fine, handsome young man, and
rs good as wheat Generous as prince,
too, and never ashamed to speak to a
body because that body happened to be
poor. The Framptons always spent
their summers at No. 10. About five
years ago Mrs. Frampton died, and for
two or three years there was only the
colonel and Duke to come down. Two
WARS 400 thov brou0ht n 1odv with
thcm-Miss Annabel Stanley, Dukes
cousin. She was an orphan and hadn't
no property l should judge from the
way things appeared. Annabcl was one